Nissan Leaf to be manufactured in U.S.

Nissan's all-electric Leaf sedan will soon be made in America.

Nissan, which previously madethe car exclusively in Japan, will begin producing Leaf models for U.S. consumption this week at its plant in Smyrna, Tenn., where the gas-powered Altima and Maxima are already made.

The Japanese automaker said the move is part of its effort to manufacture 85% of the cars it sells in the U.S. in North America by 2015. The addition of the Leaf's assembly in Tennessee, as well as battery production in an adjacent facility, has led to the creation of more than 300 jobs, Nissan said.